Plaza Shamrock · ethiopian

Abugida is a family-run Ethiopian room on Central Avenue that describes itself simply as a 'Family owned authentic Ethiopian restaurant'. The food is eaten the traditional way, scooped with injera rather than cutlery, and the kitchen keeps a wide range of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free dishes on the board because Ethiopian fasting cooking is built that way. The cafe also serves a full coffee ceremony, poured at the table with frankincense burning alongside it.

Bean Vegan Cuisine

Plaza Midwood · vegan, comfort food, southern

One of Charlotte's oldest vegan restaurants, in an unassuming building off Independence Boulevard, with a long menu of fully vegan comfort cooking: barbecue, cheesesteaks, bratwurst, reubens, meatloaf and crab cakes.

Chaat 'N' Dosa

Ballantyne · south indian, indian, vegetarian

A fast-casual South Indian street food counter on Camfield Street in Ballantyne, open since 2019 and solely vegetarian: dosas, chaats and vadas ordered at the counter.

Cilantro Noodle

Plaza Midwood · vietnamese, pho

Cilantro Noodle is a Vietnamese room on Commonwealth Avenue built around build-your-own fresh rolls and pho, with what its own site calls home style recipes. It is family-run and says so directly: that's Grandma you see in the kitchen. Vegan pho is on the menu.

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Chaat 'N' Dosa

Ballantyne · south indian, indian, vegetarian

A fast-casual South Indian street food counter on Camfield Street in Ballantyne, open since 2019 and solely vegetarian: dosas, chaats and vadas ordered at the counter.

Flower Child Ballantyne

Ballantyne · bowls, salads

Flower Child serves bowls, wraps and salads at The Bowl, with clearly marked vegan and gluten-free choices. The menu also has a Healthy Kids section with a choice of protein and two sides. This is the Bowl Street branch in Ballantyne.

Honeysuckle Gelato Ballantyne

Ballantyne · gelato, desserts

Honeysuckle's Ballantyne shop serves gelato by the scoop, along with gelato sandwiches and milkshakes. Its branch menu names vegan gelato and sorbet choices, so there are dairy-free options alongside the regular flavors. Find this shop on Bowl Street beside Fly Kid Fly.

Ma Ma Wok

Ballantyne · chinese, vegetarian

A Chinese restaurant on Elm Lane in south Charlotte that was a conventional one until its owner Jian Chen went plant based in 2017 and took the menu with him. CLTure calls it Charlotte's only completely vegetarian and vegan Chinese restaurant. The kitchen works in meat alternatives rather than dropping the dishes people came for.

Mellow Mushroom Ballantyne

Ballantyne · pizza

Mellow Mushroom's Ballantyne restaurant serves stone-baked pizza with a draft beer and cocktail selection. Its own branch menu offers vegan and gluten-free pizza choices, and the location has a patio. This is the Ballantyne Village Way restaurant.

Sanctuary Bistro

Ballantyne · vegan, new american

A vegan fine-dining room on Rea Road in south Charlotte, run by owner Jennifer Jones Horton and executive chef Barry Horton, who ran a restaurant of the same name in Berkeley, California for five and a half years before this one. Its own site sums the kitchen up as sustainable, local, organic, dairy-free and gluten-free, and frames the whole thing as healthy for the planet, environment and all living beings. It serves lunch and dinner Wednesday through Friday and brunch on Saturday, and publishes its holiday closures a year ahead.

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Charlotte Vegan Breakfast and Brunch Start with waffles in NoDa, settle into Saturday brunch in Ballantyne, or grab a vegan pastry while the morning is still yours. Charlotte Vegan Soul Food, African and Caribbean Cooking Follow Charlotte's vegan comfort-food thread from South African waffles and Caribbean delivery to soul food at Camp North End and Ethiopian plates built to share.

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Origin Stories Who built this and why? Gluten-Free Kitchens Can this kitchen actually handle it? Locally Sourced Who are they buying from? Brunch Where is brunch worth the wait? Neighborhood Institutions What has been here forever? The Whole Family Table Will they be fine with a four-year-old? Rooftops and Patios Can we sit outside? Vegan and Plant-Based Where can I eat with no asterisks?

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